


Ponponpon

by 0bviousLeigh



Series: Yuma is a Girl [45]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Gender or Sex Swap, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-25 15:56:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13838106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: "...That old duel master in the mountains just found Gilag’s ruins! He’s giving an interview on channel 5!” // This is a sh#t post, just like the episode it's written for.





	Ponponpon

**Author's Note:**

> Early update in anticipation of the influx of Voltron fanfics that are sure to come this weekend. We'll be back to regular updates next Saturday!

Yuma stumbles through her front door. “Home,” she wheezes.

“Oh hey,” Akari says from the couch. “How was the weekend with the twins?”

Has it only been a weekend? It feels like a lifetime. “Watched Repo, tried to recreate it,” Yuma mutters, dragging her reanimated corpse up the stairs and into the shower. It takes a lot of soap and hot water before she feels more like a human than a zombie. She goes from the shower to her bedroom, leaves her wet towel on the floor, and only puts on underwear and a t-shirt before she goes to bed. Astral lays down beside her, and she smiles and takes his hand.

“Almost done,” she whispers.

Astral kisses her briefly. “Sleep well, Yuma.”

She doesn’t get to sleep for long before the ringing of her phone wakes her up. She manages to answer it and grumbles, “Somebody better be dying.”

“Yeah,” Kotori says, “I am, because I think that old duel master in the mountains just found Gilag’s ruins! He’s giving an interview on channel 5!”

Yuma runs downstairs and snatches the remote from her sister, switching to the news channel.

“Oye!” Akari cries, “Put some pants on!”

Yuma ignores her. Rokujuro is talking about Gilag’s legend, that he was a brave Samurai who fought alongside a bunch of other generals, and who was a frugal person who gave all the treasures he won in battle back to his village. But the old man doesn’t say how the general died.

“It must have been terrible,” Yuma says, forgetting she’s still on the phone with Kotori, so when Kotori speaks, she jumps.

“You going to the duel lodge?”

“Ah! Uh, yeah,” Yuma says, looking down at herself. “Once I get dressed.”

“Like I told you to,” Akari yells after her.

Yuma gets dressed, but she’s still very tired. She feels like she sleepwalks to the duel lodge, and once she looks at the statue of Gilag, she feels like she’s in a dream state. Behind her, Kotori murmurs that it feels unreal.

“In the legends, we never did see what the heroes looked like,” Yuma says. She reaches out and touches the statue, and everything goes dark.

 

 

Yuma opens her eyes. She’s not in the duel lodge anymore—instead she’s in a small clearing surrounded by trees. She looks around, and feels a tap on her ankle.

“Who are you?”

Yuma looks down. A small, furry creature is at her feet. She squeals. “Oh, you’re so cute!”

The creature frowns and puffs up. “I’m not cute, I’m a warrior! I am Ponta, warrior!”

Yuma holds back from squealing again. “My apologies, Ponta-san. My name is Tsukumo Yuma, and I’m something of a warrior, too.”

Ponta squints at her. “You’re awfully young to be a warrior.”

It’s a dream anyway, so Yuma allows herself to crumble. “I am, aren’t I?” She asks, sinking to the ground and starting to cry. “I wish I didn’t have to do this, but I do, I have to!”

Ponta pats her arm. “Erm…there, there. I’m sorry I upset you.”

Yuma wipes her face. “No, it’s not you, it’s just, I’m so tired, but I can’t tell Astral, because he would think it’s his fault, and I love him so much. He’s my everything you see, my soulmate, and I know he blames himself for this.” She ends up spilling everything to Ponta, about the key, the Numbers, the Numeron code, and everything.

By the time Yuma collects herself, a fire has appeared and Ponta is boiling water over it. He opens a box of sweet-smelling tea and adds it to two cups.

“Where did this come from?” Yuma asks.

Ponta hands Yuma a cup of tea. “You seem to need it.”

“Thank you,” Yuma sniffles. She takes a sip of the tea—it’s delicious, and she tells Ponta so. The creature beams, and Yuma says, “I don’t mean to be rude but…what exactly are you?”

Ponta puffs out his chest. “I am a Tanuki! And like you, I once had a partner whom I loved very much.” Ponta’s expression darkens. “But he betrayed me.”

Well, since Yuma has spilled her life story to him, it’s only fair she listen to his. “You can tell me about it if you like.”

Ponta sips his tea. “Kiraku was a samurai who saved my life, and to repay my life’s debt to him, I often took his place in battle. I could change my shape at will, and lead armies in his place. But one day, right before a huge battle, he suddenly told me to leave. I begged to know why, but he pushed me away. He ended up losing that battle, and his life.”

“Kiraku, is that the man the statue shows?” Yuma asks.

Ponta nods. “I sealed myself in that statue, waiting for a warrior whom I could entrust my spirit to.” He squints at Yuma. “I can tell you are a warrior.”

“Not a brave one,” Yuma says.

Ponta puts a hand on her knee. “No, even brave warriors must shed tears, for others and themselves. But Yuma, I must ask you what you think of the Barians you’ve told me about.”

Yuma thinks about it. “I’m angry with them,” she says. “I want to know why they want to destroy Astral world. I want to know if they remember their pasts, if they regret things, if they would be willing to change.”

Ponta nods. “Will you help me? Will you help me talk to Kiraku, or Gilag as you know him?”

Yuma nods. “I’ll do my best. But how? Aren’t you sealed in this statue?”

Ponta grins at her. “No, I have now sealed myself into the Number. You can take me with you, wherever you go.”

 

 

Yuma opens her eyes and blinks. Kotori hovers over her.

“Thank god!” Kotori shouts. “You just passed out!”

Yuma sits up. “I had such a strange dream…” she says. But she realizes that she’s holding something and looks down—it’s a Numbers card, Number 64. “It wasn’t a dream!” She shouts, clutching the card. “Ponta, it’s you!”

“Ponta?” Asks a deep voice.

Yuma and Kotori whirl around and scream. Gilag stands a few feet behind them.

“Kiraku!” Ponta’s voice cries as he appears beside Yuma.

Gilag snarls, “You!” and lunges at the spirit. 

Yuma clings to the card, grabs Kotori, and screams “Run!!”

They race back down the mountain, and Yuma can hear Ponta squeaking in terror the entire time.

Gilag cackles, “Run, run, as fast as you can, but I’ll catch you eventually!”

Yuma and Kotori run all the way back to Yuma’s house, arriving hot, sweaty, and scared. Ponta clings to Yuma’s leg, shaking and near-tears. Yuma kneels and gathers the spirit in her arms. Somehow, she’s able to touch him.

“What…was that about?” Kotori wheezes.

“I’ll tell you…when I catch my breath,” Yuma answers.

This is complete insanity.

**Author's Note:**

> So as you can see, Gilag did not eat Ponta. That was...horrifying.
> 
> Follow me [here](http://rainbow-galaxy-supernova.tumblr.com) on tumblr to see my shit posts and occasional updates on the series!


End file.
